Russian president warns of punishments over space agency failures

Russia’s president Dmitry Medvedev has warned that senior figures could face punishment, potentially including prosecution, over recent failings at the country’s space agency.

Claiming that the failings, which include a number of failed rocket launches and a failed probe, hurt Russia’s competitiveness, Medvedev says that the government is keeping open the option of taking action against those who are deemed to have performed poorly in their jobs.

With the US space program in a somewhat depleted state, attention has turned to the efforts of China and Russia. But Russia’s turn in the spotlight has coincided with a series of high-profile failures, the most recent of which was a Martian probe that stopped communicating shortly after launch.